The Crusades were a series of wars fought by Western European Christians to recapture Jerusalem, the holy land, (modern-day Palestine), from the Muslims. Pope Urban II called the European Christians to go to Palestine to free Jerusalem and other holy places from the hands of Muslim domination. The Crusades began in 1095 and ended in the mid or late 13th century. The word 'crusade' was originally applied solely to the use of the Europeans who tried to take over Jerusalem, because it was a sacred site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. However, later it was a term used for anything that was any military effort by the Europeans against the non-Christians.
The Crusades were a combination of both benefits and also set-backs. On one hand the Crusades brought new knowledge from the East (such as medicine, Arabic numbers, astronomy etc.), new trading possibilities, and the spread of the Christianity.
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Ch...
English: Medieval miniature painting of the Siege ...
Christianity Grunge FlagOn the other hand, Christianity was spread in a violent manner, and that the new areas possible for trade became a new area for conquest and carnage. A great deal of non-Christians lost their lives in this ruthless battle with the Christian armies of this era. As a whole, the Crusades actually had a positive outcome, the reason being Europe gained new goods from the East, new farming ideas and knowledge.
The Crusades had both good and bad effects; it was a significant event in a way because the Crusades were an important part in the early story of European expansion and colonialism. The Crusades marked the first time that the Western Christendom undertook a military initiative far from their homes- the first time significant numbers left to carry their culture and religion abroad. Also, during this period of time the Europeans combined religious interest with secular and military...